A shooting at a school in British Columbia left eight dead, including the suspect, with two more people found dead at a home believed to be connected to the incident, Canadian authorities said Tuesday.
Twenty-seven people were injured, including two with serious injuries and 25 with non-life-threatening injuries, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said in a statement.
Police added that the incident involved an "active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School" in British Columbia province and that "an individual believed to be the shooter was also found deceased with what appears to be a self‑inflicted injury."
“As part of the initial response to the active shooting, police entered the school to locate the threat. During the search, officers located multiple victims,” RCMP said in a statement.
“Six additional individuals, not including the suspect, have been located deceased inside the school. Two victims have been airlifted to hospital with serious or life‑threatening injuries. A third victim died while being transported to hospital.”
Canadian media has reported that the shooter was female, but the RCMP statement did not include any details about the suspect.
"This was a rapidly evolving and dynamic situation, and the swift cooperation from the school, first responders, and the community played a critical role in our response," the RCMP's northern district commander Ken Floyd said in a statement.
"This has been an incredibly difficult and emotional day for our community," he added.
School shootings are rare in Canada.
The town of Tumbler Ridge, which has a population of about 2,400 people, is more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) north of Vancouver, near the border with Alberta.
The Peace River South School District said earlier Tuesday that there was a “lockdown and secure and hold” at both the secondary school and the Tumbler Ridge Elementary school.
Larry Neufeld, the member of the legislature for Peace River South, told reporters at the legislature that an “excess” of resources, including RCMP and ambulance support, have been sent to the community.
He said he didn’t want to release any more information over concerns that it might jeopardize the safety of the ongoing operation.
The provincial government website lists Tumbler Ridge Secondary School as having 175 students from Grades 7 to 12.
(With inputs from Associated Press, AFP)